Red Cabbage with Sesame

This sidedish is so easy you don't need a recipe per se. All told it takes under 10 minutes and goes with traditional dishes like roasted chicken, steak, or broiled fish. For a pretty garnish, toast a spoonful of sesame seeds in an oven or toaster oven and scatter them over the cabbage just before serving.

First, deal with the cabbage: throw away or compost the outer leaves, then cut the head into quarters and cut out the base. Figure about 1/4 cabbage for 2 people.

Slice the cabbage into thin ribbons and sauté in a bit of vegetable oil, a corn or peanut oil is fine. Do this over pretty high heat and use tongs to toss the cabbage in the pan. Salt and pepper the cabbage lightly while it cooks.

When the cabbage has wilted but still has a bit of crunch-3 to 4 minutes, drizzle about a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil over the cabbage, toss to mix the oil in evenly and serve. (Scatter toasted sesame seeds --if you are using them--over the top before taking the bowl to the table.)

Note: Toasted sesame oil is a little like perfume, a little bit goes a long way.